Food & Drug Protection Division

Food Program

North Carolina Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is the law that provides the framework used to uniformly administer programs designed to assure consumers in North Carolina that foods, drugs, devices, and cosmetics are safe, wholesome, unadulterated, properly labeled, registered, manufactured, stored, and distributed in a manner that ensures their safety and efficacy to consumers and the environment. Foods should be pure and wholesome, safe to eat, and produced under sanitary conditions. Drugs and devices should be safe and effective for their intended uses. Cosmetics must be safe and manufactured from approved ingredients. All food, drug, and cosmetic labels, labeling, and packaging must be truthful, informative, and not deceptive.